An organized crime gang conflict is thought to be responsible for a string of firebombing incidents in Melbourne, including the torching of a well-liked store.
In an effort to better understand 11 instances they suspect are connected to the gang war, police have made CCTV footage of a man setting fire to Sonsa Market on Smith Street in Collingwood on June 29 available.
The video also shows two men smashing a storefront’s glass with hammers, pouring accelerant into the store, and then one of them inadvertently setting himself on fire.
Two males were seen fighting outside the supermarket on June 22 a week earlier.
In the hopes that someone would recognize them, police have released video of the argument.
It is thought that the conflict between Middle Eastern organized criminal gangs is responsible for a total of nine arson attacks that have taken place throughout the city in the last two and a half weeks.
On June 27, at around 1.20 am, a property on Petros Street in Fraser Rise was set on fire, posing a threat to five individuals who were inside.
According to authorities, a man’s property on Hawksbury Green in Caroline Springs was also set on fire when he attempted to assist in putting out the fire.
The fact that no one has been gravely hurt despite the fires’ tremendous damage—one fire alone cost more than $1 million in repairs—is astonishing, according to the police.
The fact that no one has been killed or seriously hurt as a result of one of these fires is purely a matter of chance, according to Detective Inspector Chris Murray of the Arson and Explosives Squad.
“It’s obvious that they were lit with little thought given to the safety of anyone else in these areas at the time,” the author said.
The “utterly reckless” actions, according to Murray, might have easily had an impact on others in the neighborhood.
Police are combining their efforts to penetrate the gang battle while they continue to investigate the cause.
Anyone with information regarding these instances and the persons involved, as well as anyone who witnessed any of them, is encouraged to contact the police.
